DFB - Modular Homes

[cowboydoc]

DFB,
What was the name of that company is Wisconsin? I think they may be the same one that so many people around here have had so many problems with.

 

[TerryinMD]

I am just amazed at how large companies can build such terrible housing.

In my area (Western Maryland, Central Pennsylvania around I-81), manufactured housing is well accepted. When we built our house, we worked with a sales rep that sold directly for the company and they were licensed real estate agents. I have never heard anyone who owns a modular home have any complaints (in our area). When we designed our house, the sales person took down our wishes, presented them to the engineering department. The plans were drawn up and presented to us. Once accepted by both sides and signed off. We had to give them an approximate delivery date. It took about a week to build the house in the factory. They told us of their expected holidays and plant closings (The first week of deer season in PA is a "holiday" and the plant closes down.). The company had a list of recommended contruction companies to build the foundation. A real foundation not piers.

Once we had a good idea of when the foundation was to be completed, we called the house factory and the scheduled the house to be built. Once we got the go ahead from the factory, we scheduled the house erection. We had to make sure that a "cat" was on hand just in case of any problems. We built the house in winter. On the scheduled day, the house showed up in two sections with a big crane. The put on the back side first. It is interesting to see a 14'x42' object being moved and set onto a block foundation (full basement). The front side was set and they bolted the house together. Since it was a Cape Code, a crew showed up the next day and erected the roof by typical stick construction. The next day, they shingled and put the vinyl siding on the gable ends and the house was erected and closed up tight. Here is the timeline.

Mid-December grading was done.
First week January basement slabe poured.
Second week January foundation walls erected 28'x42' 13 course basements walls in one day!!
Third week January house put on foundation.
Fourth week January connect plumbing to stub-outs
February - March utilities installed, well drilled, septic system, finish grading.
April 1st move in.

Our biggest problem - getting contractors to bid on portions of the job. We were the general contractors and had to orchestrate the mess.

Would I do it again? Yes.

Would I chance anything? Yes, but that's always the case.

It just amazes me to hear of the horror stores in this thread. But, like anything else, it happens and people have to deal with it. I am glad to hear of a good resolution to DFB's journey.

Terry

 

[s1120]

Terry - neither Foremost or Keystone distributes to NY and I'm not sure about North American.

I have not been able to find someone who can stick build me a home for around the same price as a modular.

Anyone out there in the construction business who wants to build us a house in Spring???

How about Crest or Ritz-Craft, both also located in PA. Any good or bad comments? Any companies that are recommended?

I am trying to talk Paul into selling the land and buying an existing home, but so far no go...

I am not a happy camper :^(

Michele

 

[cowboydoc]

Michelle,
Try American homes. They have a website www.allamericanhomes.com. The site here in Iowa is first class and I have never heard any complaints from them. I know they have sites in other places as well.

 

[TerryinMD]

Michele,

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you can go to a manufacturer and deal directly with them, by all means do so.

Half of the problem is finding a good manufacturer or a builder for that matter.

Prior to building our house, we almost stepped into a rattlesnake pit. The short of it is, is that we ended up being the general contractor because the builder we were dealing with was going to charge us $15K more for a house 2 ft shorter and on half the property we now own. He was having a problem with his parter and.........

So, take your time. Do some research. You will be all the better for it. Also, look into getting your own construction loan. It is a good deal. The trick to making it work is to get all of your details lined up prior to going to the bank for the loan. Find a bank that will deal with you and find out their rules. It's a bit of work, but you can get more house for your money.

Figure it this way - A builder is going to make a profit on you. I would guess somewhere between 15-25%. If you budget $150,000 for your dreamhouse, at 15% that would amount to $22,500. One hell of a compact tractor, or a barn/shop, think of the possibilities. You could even have someone stickbuild a house under your control (relative term here /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif).

This is America, anything is possible. Once you know what you need to do.....

Good luck.

 

[DFB]

Cowboydoc,

The lawyers still have all the files so I can't be sure. Thru their billing (which I definitely got) I traced a telephone contact with a place called FSP CORP. about a quality control inspection data sheet. Ring any bells?



Michele,

Have you been to http://www.westchester-modular.com/? They are built right in NYS. I've been told by several licensed contractors/ builders that they are the best quality (read expensive) modulars around the area. Never have had the chance to see one myself though.

DFB

 

[cowboydoc]

DFB,
I'm pretty sure their name is Design Homes. They are way overpriced and built like a trailer house. Finished built they are no cheaper than stick building. For a cape cod without alot of upgrades they want from 160k to 180k turnkey. This is for a 28 x 48 with the bottom finished and the top unfinished. Just the house itself they are between 107k and 115k. That doesn't include water and sewer hookups, electrical, garage, etc. that is all included with a stick built house. I don't see how people even consider this as an option to tell you the truth. Most of the guys around here are between $80-100 a square foot for houses and that includes everything but drilling the well. That includes a two car garage as well or three car with bigger houses.

 

[DFB]

Cowboydoc,

You got that right! Way overpriced. There is one guy running around here talking $150 sq.ft. Brags about charging someone 30K for building them a 2 story porch.

$75 TO $110 per sq.ft. is more like it, just about lines up with your numbers.

Hey get this one, had a hearing for tax abatement after the house was removed in June. Dip***s on the board decide they can't make a decision and need more info. (?) and postpone the hearing till Oct. Got the tax bill just the other day $1700. WITH NO HOUSE THERE. Go figure. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

DFB

 

[GlueGuy]

Ha! You guys are pikers!

My best buddy is getting a remodel done on his house. Contractors have quoted him prices running $250-$300 per square foot. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

At those prices, it'll be over a 100 years before I can afford my own remodel!

I'm not bragging, I'm just amazed at the differences in prices around this country.

The GlueGuy

 

[bgott]

When I sold mobile homes I took a tour of the Fleetwood factory in Waco, TX. I imagine mods are built the same way. They pull the frame into a building and then it’s moved sideways through the various stations. At the first station they drape underlayerment over the frame and then they drop in prefabed ductwork and plumbing. Then they use an overhead trolley to drop ( and I do mean drop) the joists onto the frame. A couple of guys run around and gun nail the joists to the sills and then it moves to the next station. Total time per station...15 minutes! After 10 minutes a loud horn sounds and everybody goes nuts trying to get their job done. If they aren’t done or something screws up it goes anyway. When I nail a subfloor I have to snap chalk lines to stay on the joists. These guys don’t have the time. If it’s a good day you’re going to have a good house. If it’s a bad day you’re screwed. The managers tell you that anybody can stop the line if there is a problem but, of course, the people working there will tell you that’s not a good idea. The employees told me that when one of them is having a personal house built they let everyone know and for some funny reason the line seems to get stopped at every station!

 

[PitbullMidwest]

cowboydoc,

I know several people who own Design Homes and they are quality built. Now a disclaimer. My friends who own Design Homes purchased them 15-20 years ago. Recently a Design Home was placed in a new subdivision locally and a realitor friend said it leaks like a funnel.

We looked at CSI and was not impressed with their product at all. My wife is a QC manager and she thought their practices looked shoddy. We stopped at AllAmerican in Dyersville and they seemed to be pretty good. High quality cabinets, quality carpet and floor coverings, solid oak mouldings and trim and the actual home construction seemed to be on par with site built practices.

My wife and I researched modular homes for a long time, we looked at 10 different builders and showed up unannounced at each of their factories and asked for tours. 2 refused our requests all the other said ok. We talked to owners and finally settled on Homera from Tracy MN. Very high quality home, good work practices, pricing was reasonable but our sales rep turned out to be an idiot, as I described in another post.

Lessons we learned:
1. If the company builds both modular and manufactured homes (double wides) move on down the road. ALL factories we toured that built both share materials between the assembly lines.

2. Tour as many of their houses you can find, don't rely on company referals as most of these companies pay referal bonuses if someone buys after touring your home.

3. Take the time to talk to the Modular Home Council, realtors and local contractors who have been involved in any way with the home company.

4. Don't rush into anything, but as related already on this thread, even if you are careful you can still get burned.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

DFB

They installed the posts upside down? Figures. Like I said, been there, seen that, got the T-Shirt, baby. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Have you noticed the new ones are all coming with vaulted ceilings? I figure that's so you can't get up in there to see what they used for framing on the inside. Probably 2x2.

SHF

 

[s1120]

[image]I figure that's so you can't get up in there to see what they used for framing on the inside. Probably 2x2.[/image]

Ya, at best. I seem to only see them in the cheeper houses. Hummmm?

 

[s1120]

Actually we went to a seminar last February put on by Westchester Modular held in a hotel Latham NY. It was very informative.

Their standard specs are the best I have ever seen and include Anderson double hung, tilt in w/full screens and grids, 3/4" t&g fir plywood, 25 yr architectural shingles, moen faucets, etc. They also allow you to come to the factory and watch your house being built! Kind of hard to cheat with someone watching, but who can take that kind of time off from work and travel back and forth every day?

The down side is they are expensive, but I suppose you get what you pay for..... It may be time to get in touch with their local builder. I have already contacted the Better Business Bureau to get their report.

Michele

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>moen faucets</font color=blue>

Our house came with all Moen lifetime guaranteed faucets. They're good folks. I had one dripping, called their 800 number and they sent new cartridges (may have just been some debris in it instead of defective). Later broke the plastic knob on the shower, called, and promptly got a new one.

Bird

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

DFB

Just looked at a HUD home that has wooden framing in the floor-- no steel framing. There were a few of these units constructed in the 80's. FHA warned me about them, but this is the first I've seen. Darn thing has held up pretty decent, but the home owners have been engaged in extensive remodeling.

Michelle,
Price on the unit usually will result in a better build, the old "You get what you pay for" story. But not necessarily. If they would let me watch them build the home and change out things I didn't like as they went along, I might bite. BUT, I would want my home built on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. The guys might be tired or hung over on Monday and they might be anxious to get home or meet quota on Friday.

SHF

 

[TerryinMD]

Whoa, guys... it does not matter if you have a house built in a factory or stick built. You gotta deal with people who might come in hung-over. Or deal with unscrupelous people. Go to any large constuction site.

Building a quality home is dependent upon getting good builders. Manufactured or site-built!!

Doesn't matter about certified this or certified that. Do you think that HUD goes in every week to re-certify? Hello - this is bureaucratic paperwork involved, not people!!

Do your homework!! Spend the time!! Don't be talked into something that makes you unconfortable.

Just my 2% of a dollar

 

[Bird]

SHF, I had two new homes built in the Dallas area; one in '72 and another in '77; both by the same company; one of the major homebuilders in Dallas. And I never went by the site on any day of the week without finding lots of empty Coors cans./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

 

[s1120]

Terry, That should be "Whoa, guys and gals". /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I do not feel any safer going stick built than modular. I believe either way you can get taken to the cleaners if your not careful.

I've always heard not to buy a car that was built on a Monday or Friday but never thought about it in respect to home building. Good point.

Michele

 

[TerryinMD]

Retraction -

Whoa - people..... /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

My bad!!